


Why do you care?

by Rocketships



Category: South Park
Genre: Gen, warning: self harm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-03
Updated: 2012-02-03
Packaged: 2017-10-30 13:15:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/332134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rocketships/pseuds/Rocketships
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Flash Fic: Pip & Kenny friendship fic. Really short, and really sparse. Trigger warning for self harm.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Why do you care?

“Hey, uhm, what are you doing?”   
  
Pip hears a voice, but doesn’t look up. He’s got his lighter out and is burning little patches of his skin with it, trying hard to concentrate so he doesn’t flinch away from the pain. It’s starting to really sting now.  
  
The figure next to him shifts a bit, snow and ice and gravel crackling under boots. Pip knows he’s making the kid uncomfortable.  
  
Eventually, the flame goes out on him and he looks up at the kid. No surprise there, he already figured it was McCormick.  
  
“Why do you care?” He says, a pleasant sort of casualness to his voice.   
  
“I dunno. Why shouldn’t I?” Kenny says, and crouches down next to him, uninvited.   
  
Pip shrugs.  
  
“Can I have a light?” Kenny asks, pulling out a cigarette and gesturing to the lighter Pip still has clutched in one hand.   
  
“Sure.” Pip says, flicking it on again, and holding it out to Kenny.   
  
Kenny puffs on the cigarette a few times before pulling away. Pip stares at him, then drops his gaze to inspect the small burns littering his arm. He pulls his sleeve down over them.  
  
There’s a long silence between them, Pip idly passing the lighter back and forth between both of his hands, Kenny smoking and staring off into the distance.   
  
Then, Kenny finally speaks: “Not gonna unload all your problems on me then?”   
  
Pip looks up at him, eyebrows knitting together. “Why would I?”   
  
Kenny shrugs.  
  
“Cause that’s usually how it goes, you know, I try and be nice and say ‘Oh hey you okay?’ and then I offer someone a cigarette or whatever or pills if they’re a Tucker because cigarettes are never fucking good enough for Tuckers apparently, and then after that the flood gates open and everyone pours all of their shit onto me and then they wander off without so much as a ‘Hey, thanks for listening, Kenny!’ or ‘Gee, Kenny, you’re such a great pal!’ but whatever, I guess, that’s just what I’m here for.”   
  
Kenny sucks in a breath, and then looks over at Pip apologetically. “Sorry, that was uncalled for. And sorry for not offering you a cigarette, this is my last one.”   
  
Pip just stare at him. “I’m sorry,” he says, softly.  
  
“For what?” Kenny asks, blowing out smoke.  
  
“That people do that to you.” Pip says, staring down at his hands and picking at the skin around his fingernails.   
  
“Nah don’t worry about it. Nothing you have to be sorry about. I didn’t mean to have an outburst like that or anything.” Kenny shifts, sinking down lower and stretching out a leg. “I wasn’t trying to make you feel bad, shit.”   
  
“No, it’s okay.” Pip looks over at him, trying to smile.   
  
“You’re a fucking mess, you know that?” Kenny looks Pip up and down.  
  
Pip is covered in dirt, sweater and leggings and shoelaces ripped, his hair is a mess and his eye make up is smudged all down his face. He hasn’t seen his reflection in quite some time, but he guesses he looks about as terrible as he feels.  
  
“Yeah. I know.” Pip says simply, wrapping his arms around himself.   
  
“You sure you don’t want to talk about it?” Kenny says, blowing smoke to his right. “I don’t mind, seriously. It’s the least I can do.”   
  
After a moment, Kenny silently offers Pip the cigarette. Pip just shrugs and takes it gently from his fingers, taking a few puffs on it before he hands it back to the other boy.   
  
“People are dicks.” Pip finally responds. He’s staring off ahead, watching the cars pass by on the bridge.    
  
Kenny looks over at him and waits a while, expecting him to continue. Pip stays silent.   
  
“Yeah,” Kenny says, taking a drag, “yeah they are.”


End file.
